1. SUMMARY
Accordingto 2Kings22-23, duringthe 18th
year of Josiah’sreign(622),Hilkiahthe highpriest
founda bookin the temple of Jerusalemandgave itto Shaphanthe scribe.Shaphan
informedthe KingJosiahaboutthe book’scontent.Althoughitscontentisnotrevealedto
us,Josiahbecame sodistressedthatimmediatelybeganaseriesof reformactions.Aslong
as the author of the deuteronomistichistoriographyrepresentsall theseactionsasbeingthe
resultof the discoveryof the bookof the Law,theymay alsoindicate some partof the
contentsof the discoveredbook:Probablyitwascontainingrulesandwarningsabout
people’sattitude towardidolatryandsyncretism, promptsforthe exclusive worshipof
Yahwehinthe temple of JerusalemandinjunctionstokeepPassoveruntoYahweh.Allthese
shouldbe followedbythreatsof judgmentagainstthose thatwouldnotobey.Accordingto
thisimage aboutthe contentof the discoveredbook,we cannotice asimilaritybetweenthe
bookof the Law and the bookof Deuteronomy. Analyzingthe bookof the Deuteronomy
furtheras a literarygenre,we mayfindoutmanysimilaritiestothe Hittite Treaties.This
meansthat if Deuteronomyfollowsthe literaryformof the adê-Treaties,itwouldbe
reasonable toassume thata literarycircle,familiarwiththese treaties,were responsible for
the compositionof the bookof Deuteronomy.Duringthisperiodindeedtherewasacircle of
the “SopherimHakamim”(=Wise Scribes),thataccordingto Jeremiahwere composingthe
deuteronomicLaw.Tryingto resolve the literaryproblemof the relationshipbetweenthis
deuteronomicLawand the deuteronomistichistoriography,we conclude the existence of a
DeuteronomicSchool,thatbeginsitsworkinthe 7th
centuryandcontinuesitsredactional
activityuntil the secondhalf of the 6th
century.The Book of Deuteronomy,the
DeuteronomisticHistoriographyandthe bookof Jeremiahwere attributedtothisSchool,
that wasconsistingof court scribes,priestsandprophets,whocontributedeitherinthe
compositionorinthe practical applicationof the deuteronomisticlaw.Takinginto
considerationall the informationabove,we make the followingconclusion:The
deuteronomiclawwascreatedduringthe Hezekiah’sreigningyears,inordertobecome the
lawof the State.The Scribesand the Priesthoodconsideredthe collapseof the Assyrian
Empire as a great opportunitytoimplementtheirplan.AfterJosiah’sfailure in609BCand
the destructionof Judahin587BC, the deuteronomisticredactortriestoincorporate the
Deuteronomyinthe worshipandtoensure itswide acceptance throughitsregularpublic
reading.